Sources B and c show two very different aspects of wartime Britain; the positive side for the media and the 'real' affects of the war.

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Introduction

Sources B and c show two very different aspects of wartime Britain; the positive side for the media and the 'real' affects of the war. Source B was banned by sensors in 1943, showing the effects of an air raid on the 20th of January on Catford girls' school in London showing the sporadic nature of bombing. This source shows what the photographer wanted the public to see, reality, not necessarily what the government officials did. The photograph could have been taken as evidence, to prove the event happened or, it could have been taken for future generations by, perhaps, historians of the time, for those who had not lived through the war. Another option is the photo was taken for personal use but we cannot be certain. The source shows how people weren't exposed to the full impact of the war in two ways. On one hand the public were often left ignorant to what was happening during the war due to censorship, as the source shows. The sensitive photograph shows a large loss in the innocent lives of children. The way in which the bodies have been laid out, strewn in sacking, almost signifies a demoralisation in the people, by the manner in which they are being treated. ...read more.

Middle

It tells us how people's jobs changed, including new responsibilities to what they had previously done - everyone had to accommodate the war. In the background fences and buildings are left standing undamaged which in some ways portrays an ironic picture. The ideas that conjure in people's minds in connection with wartime Britain are often ones of material devastation and the loss of military lives, not often does one think of the millions of ordinary citizens left at home which area effected, although ultimately they are, even school children. People see fallen houses reduced to piles of dust and war memorials but as source B suggests; the Blitz was a war of foul play, a war which involved the people of Britain. Source C however, portrays a very different aspect of the war. It shows a photograph which was published on the 15th September 1940 as a morale booster. An important point in this source is the date, the photograph must have been taken some time before being published although we cannot be certain of an exact date, but it would appear to have been taken relatively close to the beginning of the war. With hindsight we know that At the point of being taken people hadn't yet felt the full affects of the war. ...read more.

Conclusion

The children may have been evacuated to safe areas which would mean the area in the photograph was considered by the government to be an evacuation area, thus, heavy bombing was expected. This picture is obviously not people in their natural environment. Even though it's a primary source the photo could have been adapted at the processing stage so you have to be careful - it is great for propaganda uses. Publishers own quotations can be added which carry the risk of being biased so it is difficult to access the accuracy as certain limitations affect it. People are consciously posing for the photo, and thus it could be likely a publisher of some kind has taken it. the photo could be staged, they could have been instructed how to be, or people could even have been smiling at the prospect of hsving their pictures in the paper. This picture was taken to show a certain mood within the country, to give a positive idea to the war time country, and almost definitely to be published. Positive images would be published to try and lift the mood of the country, as the source is playing on the peoples emotions. Overall, we can see from both sources the people in Britain were affected by the war in negative and positive ways. Propaganda paid a large part in people's understanding of the war, the nature of bombing was often sporadic and no one could escape it for sure. ...read more.

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